President’s speech – commissioning of Mathari Kenya@50 legacy projects
SPEECH BY PRESIDENT UHURU KENYATTA, DURING THE OFFICIAL COMMISSIONING OF NEWLY RENOVATED WARDS: A KENYA@50 LEGACY PROJECT MATHARI NATIONAL AND REFERRAL HOSPITAL, NAIROBI 18TH FEBRUARY, 2015
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am happy to join you today as we deliver one of my Government’s Kenya@50 Legacy Projects.
To commemorate the Golden Anniversary of our Independence, we resolved to inaugurate initiatives and projects that would stand as milestones of our progress in the war against illiteracy, hunger, disease and poverty.
At Independence, we resolved as a Nation, to unite as a front and wage determined battle against these ills. We have achieved a lot in forging unity, developing skills and securing resources to sustain the fight.
Today, we celebrate a novel dimension of our united front. As citizens of this country, we share experiences, concerns, hopes and aspirations. This makes it possible for us to come together to achieve great things.
In our Kenya@50 projects, it is about the public sector seeking opportunities to work with the private sector to make Kenya better.
Indeed, I salute the private sector partners who worked with my government in delivering Kenya@50 Legacy Projects. Today, I especially wish to thank the Safaricom Foundation for consistently reaching out to touch lives and contribute to development.
Your investment in this project, and many others demonstrate that our private sector has much to offer in transforming this country.
This Legacy Project improves facilities and services at this institution, and enables it to offer high quality services to more Kenyans. Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital is a unique institution which provides special health services.
My Government is committed to ensuring that all Kenyans enjoy the highest quality of healthcare. A Nation which has embarked on an ambitious development agenda requires all its people to be healthy, productive and competitive.
My Government desires all Kenyans to have the opportunity to play their part. That is why we have invested Kshs. 38 billion to ensure that 2 hospitals in every county, together with all national referral hospitals are able to provide high-tech, high quality diagnostic and treatment services for many illnesses.
Our aim is to make sure that Kenyans no longer have to wait for, or forgo treatment for heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer or other ailments for any reason.
By making services widely available at the county level, we eliminate both cost and access barriers to medical treatment.
To support this, my Government, through the National Hospital Insurance Fund is rolling out social health insurance to bring ALL Kenyans under health cover.
My Government is deeply concerned about bodily health as well as that of the mind. Mental health is a phenomenon that has taken generations for our societies to understand, let alone treat. As a result, many Kenyans go without much-needed attention and suffer due to mental illness.
Stigma arising from poor information and backward attitudes have further marginalized mental health patients, alienating them from the national treatment framework.
Empathy and compassion, critical ingredients of all help and treatment, is scarce for those suffering from mental illness.
A healthy mind is the basis of relationships, productivity and happiness. To deny treatment and compassion for any reason sentences mental health patients to a life of isolation, unemployment and endless sorrow.
Mental illness is a worldwide health burden. In Kenya, 25% of persons visiting health facilities suffer from one form or other of mental illness.
This burden has been compounded by drug and alcohol abuse. Hundreds of thousands of Kenyans abuse hard drugs, thereby consigning themselves to a life of health challenges, including mental illness.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I trust that as we speak, county governments are working hard to improve the provision of mental health services at community, primary and hospital levels. This will ensure that Kenyans have equitable access to high quality integrated mental health services.
The national government stands ready to support and facilitate counties in accelerating these projects.
This is an opportunity to send a message to the people of Kenya. Let us do more to understand mental illness. Let us extend a hand of compassion and support to all persons in our families and communities who suffer from mental illness. Let us help them receive treatment. Give them the confidence they need to sustain family and social relationships and to lead happy, productive lives.
Our society must be a home and family where love and support, not stigma and prejudice abound.
I also urge all Kenyans to collaborate and support our young people in keeping away from vices like drug and alcohol abuse. This involves parents, teachers, the wider community and law enforcement.
Our ‘Nyumba Kumi’ law and order model is succeeding every day in addressing security challenges.
It should be extended to deal with drug abuse by denying drug dealers the space they need to damage the lives of our children. Let us resolve as a country to unite and be ruthless with anyone who misleads a young Kenyan into abusing drugs and alcohol.
Every time you encounter a youth being lured and damaged by drug abuse, always remember that it could be your own child.
As I conclude, I wish to thank all partners and stakeholders for the effort invested in this magnificent, historic milestone.
You have done Kenya proud. The impact of your commitment, focus and selfless determination will be felt for generations to come. Go home today, proudly satisfied in the knowledge that you have laid a massive building block for a great nation.
I now officially hand over the refurbished facilities to the Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Thank you very much. May God bless each one of you.
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am happy to join you today as we deliver one of my Government’s Kenya@50 Legacy Projects.
To commemorate the Golden Anniversary of our Independence, we resolved to inaugurate initiatives and projects that would stand as milestones of our progress in the war against illiteracy, hunger, disease and poverty.
At Independence, we resolved as a Nation, to unite as a front and wage determined battle against these ills. We have achieved a lot in forging unity, developing skills and securing resources to sustain the fight.
Today, we celebrate a novel dimension of our united front. As citizens of this country, we share experiences, concerns, hopes and aspirations. This makes it possible for us to come together to achieve great things.
In our Kenya@50 projects, it is about the public sector seeking opportunities to work with the private sector to make Kenya better.
Indeed, I salute the private sector partners who worked with my government in delivering Kenya@50 Legacy Projects. Today, I especially wish to thank the Safaricom Foundation for consistently reaching out to touch lives and contribute to development.
Your investment in this project, and many others demonstrate that our private sector has much to offer in transforming this country.
This Legacy Project improves facilities and services at this institution, and enables it to offer high quality services to more Kenyans. Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital is a unique institution which provides special health services.
My Government is committed to ensuring that all Kenyans enjoy the highest quality of healthcare. A Nation which has embarked on an ambitious development agenda requires all its people to be healthy, productive and competitive.
My Government desires all Kenyans to have the opportunity to play their part. That is why we have invested Kshs. 38 billion to ensure that 2 hospitals in every county, together with all national referral hospitals are able to provide high-tech, high quality diagnostic and treatment services for many illnesses.
Our aim is to make sure that Kenyans no longer have to wait for, or forgo treatment for heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer or other ailments for any reason.
By making services widely available at the county level, we eliminate both cost and access barriers to medical treatment.
To support this, my Government, through the National Hospital Insurance Fund is rolling out social health insurance to bring ALL Kenyans under health cover.
My Government is deeply concerned about bodily health as well as that of the mind. Mental health is a phenomenon that has taken generations for our societies to understand, let alone treat. As a result, many Kenyans go without much-needed attention and suffer due to mental illness.
Stigma arising from poor information and backward attitudes have further marginalized mental health patients, alienating them from the national treatment framework.
Empathy and compassion, critical ingredients of all help and treatment, is scarce for those suffering from mental illness.
A healthy mind is the basis of relationships, productivity and happiness. To deny treatment and compassion for any reason sentences mental health patients to a life of isolation, unemployment and endless sorrow.
Mental illness is a worldwide health burden. In Kenya, 25% of persons visiting health facilities suffer from one form or other of mental illness.
This burden has been compounded by drug and alcohol abuse. Hundreds of thousands of Kenyans abuse hard drugs, thereby consigning themselves to a life of health challenges, including mental illness.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I trust that as we speak, county governments are working hard to improve the provision of mental health services at community, primary and hospital levels. This will ensure that Kenyans have equitable access to high quality integrated mental health services.
The national government stands ready to support and facilitate counties in accelerating these projects.
This is an opportunity to send a message to the people of Kenya. Let us do more to understand mental illness. Let us extend a hand of compassion and support to all persons in our families and communities who suffer from mental illness. Let us help them receive treatment. Give them the confidence they need to sustain family and social relationships and to lead happy, productive lives.
Our society must be a home and family where love and support, not stigma and prejudice abound.
I also urge all Kenyans to collaborate and support our young people in keeping away from vices like drug and alcohol abuse. This involves parents, teachers, the wider community and law enforcement.
Our ‘Nyumba Kumi’ law and order model is succeeding every day in addressing security challenges.
It should be extended to deal with drug abuse by denying drug dealers the space they need to damage the lives of our children. Let us resolve as a country to unite and be ruthless with anyone who misleads a young Kenyan into abusing drugs and alcohol.
Every time you encounter a youth being lured and damaged by drug abuse, always remember that it could be your own child.
As I conclude, I wish to thank all partners and stakeholders for the effort invested in this magnificent, historic milestone.
You have done Kenya proud. The impact of your commitment, focus and selfless determination will be felt for generations to come. Go home today, proudly satisfied in the knowledge that you have laid a massive building block for a great nation.
I now officially hand over the refurbished facilities to the Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Thank you very much. May God bless each one of you.
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